1992-1993 Georgia-Abkhazia armed conflict: ICRC helps to clarify the fate of Missing Persons

Problem of people missing during and after armed conflicts unfortunately relates to Georgia too. According to various sources, there is significant number of people who got missing during and in relation with armed conflicts of last decades in our country.

It is known that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is actively involved in the process of searching of those people.

Ms Jelena Milosevic Lepotic, who coordinates the work related to issues of missing persons and their families, tells us more about the role and activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Indeed, there are over 2000 persons missing from the conflicts of the last decades and families are still waiting for answers,. Families are ageing and they told us many times that all they want is to have an answer and be able to give a proper burial to their relatives.

The ICRC initiated a "Missing project" which aims at addressing the issue of people who were unaccounted for as a result of armed conflicts in order to prevent disappearances, locate missing persons, and also to address the needs of their families. It is important to recall that the families of the missing persons should also be seen as victims of conflicts. An international conference was organized in Geneva in 2003, which led to recommendations and best practices on various issues linked with the disappearance of people, which unfortunately excessively occurs in conflict affected countries all over the world. Georgia has, unfortunately, not been spared. Thus, it is extremely important to try to implement and put into practice what has been recommended following the Conference. Aside from the various needs the families of missing persons are facing, the most crucial one is their need to know the whereabouts of their loved ones. In Georgia, we are actively working with all the parties involved in order to address this issue of the missing people in a purely humanitarian manner in order to find their whereabouts and if deceased, to identify and hand over the human remains to the families to allow them have a proper funeral ceremony and do their mourning.

In 2010, we succeeded to set up two humanitarian mechanisms: one addressing the issue of persons who disappeared in relation with the 1989-1992 and 2008 conflicts and the other addressing the issue of persons who went missing in relation to the 1992-1993 conflict. Both mechanisms are chaired by the ICRC.

It is important to mention that the authorities are actively involved in the process. I would say we see that the Georgian, Abkhaz, South Ossetian and Russian participants to the process do realise their responsibility in getting answers for the families of missing persons.

You mentioned the two coordination mechanisms that were established and work under the auspices of the ICRC. How successful is the work of those mechanisms? What are the results achieved by now?

The two mechanisms that we established are: the Bipartite Coordination Mechanism for Clarifying the Fate of Persons Missing in Relation to 1992-1993 Armed Conflict and after and the Tripartite Coordination Mechanism for the Clarification of the Fate of Persons Missing from the August 2008 armed conflict and earlier hostilities.

Despite the complexity of the process, the work of the two mechanisms does bring concrete results. The participants to the Bipartite Coordination Mechanism keep on meeting on regular basis and exchanging information relevant to the work. The ICRC provides support with technical expertise within the framework of its mandate of a neutral humanitarian organisation. The Tripartite Coordination Mechanism is presently facing some difficulties, yet the ICRC continues providing support to the participants to overcome present difficulties and continue successful bringing of answers to the families that await them.

So far, the following results have been achieved:

Following the decision made by the Bipartite Coordination Mechanism, experts from the Argentine Forensic Anthropology team were invited by the ICRC to support exhumations and analysis of 64 sets of human remains of unidentified persons that died during the 1992-1993 armed conflict and who were subsequently buried in the site of Park Slavy in Sukhumi. . Remains of 21 individuals have been identified and returned to their families since December 2013. In 2014, exhumations of 2 sites containing remains of persons who died in the 1993 plane crash at the Babushera Airport took place. Remains of 55 individuals were exhumed and analysed. Following the DNA and anthropological analysis, remains of 9 persons have been identified.

In parallel to work of the two mechanisms, we have also initiated a project in favour of the families of the missing people.

What kind of support do you provide to families of missing individuals?

Under the project Accompaniment of Families of Missing Persons, local non-governmental organizations, Georgia Red Cross Society and a number of enthusiastic individuals in cooperation with the ICRC provided psychological, legal, social, economic and psychosocial support to the families of missing. The aim of the project is to address their various needs, and assist them to live with their ambiguous loss.

Based on their feedback this work seems to be very much appreciated. These people feel that they are not forgotten and that their specific needs are taken into consideration.

You informed about exhumations in Babushera, Sukhumi and Tbilisi. According to various media sources, some other graves might as well be exhumed. What additional information could you give us on that issue?

As mentioned previously, the participants to the Bipartite Coordination Mechanism agreed and carried out exhumations at the sites of Park Slavy (Sukhumi), Babushera and Digomi (Tbilisi). So far, remains of 30 persons have been identified and handed over to their families both in Sukhumi and in Tbilisi. The first identifications of remains exhumed from Babushera were reached in December 2014 when one family received remains of its four missing family members. Identification of 5 more individuals exhumed from Babushera has been reached and Georgian participants to the Bipartite Mechanism (Ministry of IDPs and Refugees and the National Forensic Bureau Medical Department and Morgue), with support of the ICRC, organised the handover of the identified remains to the families in February 2015. More identifications can be expected as the process of identification using anthropology and DNA analysis continues.

What ensures accuracy of identification of human remains? What are the standards applied in this complex activity?

A multi-disciplinary approach is taken towards the identification of human remains. This includes using different types of information such as data about the missing person when they were alive, the circumstances of disappearance, DNA reference samples from family members and reliable information about the location about where the bodies may have been buried. This information is compared against data collected during the scientific recovery and analysis of the human remains as well as DNA samples that are taken from the skeletal material. In this way, multiple lines of enquiry and all supporting evidence is used for a positive identification. This approach follows international best practice in the identification of human remains and ensures confidence in the results.

What are the plans for the future?

The Bipartite Coordination Mechanism and its Forensic Working Group will continue meeting regularly. The next meeting is preliminary agreed to take place sometime in the spring in Istanbul. The dates are still not confirmed. It is expected that the participants will continue working on the collection of information about potential burial places to enable future exhumations, identifications and hand overs to the concerned families.

In order to have the process running smoothly, it is expected that all institutions directly and indirectly supporting the process fulfil their agreed roles: e.g. The Ministry of IDPs and Refugees continues collecting and managing information through its department for missing persons, the National Forensic Bureau DNA laboratory continues assisting the ICRC-led and financed process of collection and storage of biological reference samples and the Georgian government continues financing the process of DNA profiling of the biological reference samples collected from family members of missing persons, etc.

At the same time, safeguarding this humanitarian process from political agenda is highly important. The ICRC together with the Georgian and Abkhaz participants will continue ensuring that the nature of the coordination mechanism – non-politicized, non-reciprocal, and humanitarian – is maintained in the future.

The ICRC will recommend to the Georgian government to form a state commission on missing persons that will facilitate a standardised and centralised management of data on missing persons, their families, potential gravesites, and other relevant data. It is hoped that this will in turn facilitate clarification of the fate and whereabouts of those registered as missing and provide long-awaited answers to their families.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/3330_march_17_2015/3330_interview.html

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Myanmar ferry accident death toll climbs to 61

The death toll in a ferry accident last week off northwestern Myanmar rose to 61 as two more bodies were recovered Tuesday, state television reported.

The report on the evening news said that the bodies of 14 males and 47 females had been found so far, and efforts were continuing to recover victims from the ship about 30 meters (90 feet) underwater.

The Myanma Ahlin newspaper reported earlier Tuesday that the number of known survivors was 169.

The crowded government-run double-decker ferry was carrying more than 225 passengers when it left the coastal town of Kyaukphyu. The ferry had travelled about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north near Myebon in Rakhine state Friday night when it hit rough seas and capsized after taking on water.

Boat accidents due to overcrowding and bad weather are common in Myanmar's river deltas and coastal regions. People rely on boat transport because of the lower cost and the inaccessibility of many areas by road.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-ferry-accident-death-toll-climbs-61-143714417.html

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South Africa: 100 bodies recovered from unmarked grave on sugar cane farm

South African authorities on Tuesday said they have discovered a suspected mass burial site containing around 100 bodies at a sugarcane farm near the southestern port city of Durban.

The bodies buried at the unmarked site are suspected to be those of former prison farm labourers.

The Vulamehlo municipality mayor and senior local government officials visited the farm last week and "discovered that there were indeed graves ... where close to 100 people were buried," municipality manager Msizi Zulu told.

"We are not quite sure if they were buried in coffins or were just dumped there." A traditional sangoma, or witchdoctor was last year "prompted by the spirits about the grave" and led the authorities to the derelict site, he said.

It is not yet clear how old the burial site is and authorities have not yet started procedures to determine the identities of those buried. Glenroy Farm, situated less than 100 kilometres south of Durban, is now owned by leading sugar conglomerate Illovo, which bought it in 1989.

A statement from a provincial cabinet meeting last week said the farm was known as having used prison farm labourers years ago. Illovo said until now, it was unaware of the existence of the graves and "has never used, and does not use, prison labour at any of its operations".

"We have been informed that a broken-down and derelict building, which was previously hidden ... by thick and overgrown vegetation on an uncultivated section of the farm, was in fact a prison building many years ago, and that the graves recently discovered may well be those of prisoners," said Illovo.

It said it had no knowledge on whether the prisoners may or may not have worked on the farm prior to its ownership of the property 26 years ago.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Mar-2015/100-bodies-recovered-from-unmarked-grave-in-sugar-cane

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The worst storm of all: Tri-State Tornado holds records 90 years later

Wednesday, March 18, 1925, was a comparatively slow news day in Cape Girardeau.

Among the headlines on the front page of the Southeast Missourian's evening edition: "College not likely to get new building." "Girl, 18, makes second trip to the altar." "Left-hand turn into driveways now prohibited."

And this: "Small town obliterated by cyclone."

Annapolis, Missouri, about 100 miles west of Cape Girardeau, was nearly wiped out by a tornado that passed through the area about 2 p.m. that day, the story stated.

The paper also said a little damage had been reported at Appleton and Perryville, Missouri, but a line of the Cape Girardeau Telephone Co. was down between towns, making communication impossible. But the storm had been "barely noticeable" in Cape Girardeau, "there being only a brisk wind."

No doubt the town went to bed gossiping about the 18-year-old divorcee. Little did they know of the extensive damage and losses their neighbors had suffered.

March 19, 1925

Thursday's headline across the top of the front page revealed a reality few had considered: "STORM TOLL IS NEAR 1,000."

The tornado -- known today as the Tri-State Tornado -- had, indeed, touched down at Annapolis, the first of many landing spots. The tornado went on for more than 200 miles, touching down at Biehle, Missouri; Gorham, Murphysboro, De Soto and West Frankfort in Illinois; and Griffin, Owensville and Princeton in Indiana, setting records along the way that still stand 90 years later.

The National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office website, which categorizes the Tri-State Tornado as an EF5, said it had an average path width of three-fourths of a mile, traveled 219 miles and caused 3 1/2 hours of continuous devastation.

The twister caused 695 deaths, a record for a single tornado.

A record 234 deaths were reported in Murphysboro, the most for a single community from such a disaster. And 33 people died at the De Soto school -- only bombings and gas explosions have caused more deaths at high schools, according to the website.

The site said modern research suggests such a long-lasting tornado is the result of an evolving supercell, in which one storm cell leads to the development of another.

Because the Tri-State Tornado's path was continuous, however, it's believed it could have been one rare, massive storm.

Five people in Cape Girardeau and Perry counties were known to be dead and 14 injured.

But across the river, the early death-toll numbers being reported were much higher: 35 killed at Parrish, 200 at West Frankfort, 500 at Murphysboro.

Dr. G.S. Cannon of Fornfelt, who had been helping treat the injured, told the Missourian: "Several carloads of injured were placed on board trains there at midnight to be taken to a Cairo hospital, and rescue workers were still searching the ruins for more injured and dead."

March 20, 1925

Somber news of the storm's toll on the area continued to roll in Friday. It was time to bury the dead.

A revised list of those killed was printed, with one more than previously had been thought after a report came in by phone after communication was re-established.

The paper said the "latest figures indicate the death list will be more than 600 in final and official compilations."

Hundreds of mourners gathered for triple services at Whitewater Presbyterian Church near Lixville in Bollinger County, Missouri, and a double service was held in the wrecked Catholic church at Biehle.

The tales of devastation seemed endless. One 35-year-old farmer, Joe Blechle, was laid to rest even as his wife lay injured at a neighbor's house in Biehle.

The prognosis was not good for 9-year-old Hazel Statler, who was fighting death at a Cape Girardeau hospital after she sustained a depressed skull fracture when the storm stuck her school at Lixville.

Ida Steuve, who with her sister, Concordia, was injured when wind damaged the Rich parochial school in Frohna, was expected to be taken to a Cape Girardeau hospital for surgery -- if she could withstand the trip.

In Indiana, 92 were reported dead, the United Press reported.

Murphysboro

The tornado had set a record speed of 73 mph between Gorham and Murphysboro, where the death toll continued to rise. One-hundred-fifty bodies were recovered the morning of March 20; 250 people were reported injured.

The Murphysboro power plant was damaged, leaving the city without water or light. One hundred city blocks were destroyed, and 70 more, including residential areas, were swept by flames.

Five students died when the storm ripped through the high school. Four other public schools were damaged, as well, killing 12 students.

Cape Girardeau visitors to Murphysboro urged others to stay away: "The city is under martial law, with state militiamen guarding the ruins. Everywhere there were tragic signs of the disaster."

The city of Murphysboro said it welcomed aid, but urged visitors to stay away. "Raise money; send supplies, but keep the people away," one story read.

So many rescue workers flocked to Illinois towns, a general order was issued to stop the flow of people into the cities.

Supplies had been rushed to the area, but apparently some of the curious visitors had been taking advantage, and townspeople were worried food would run out.

Recovery

Over the week following the Tri-State Tornado, recovery efforts began to take shape.

The Red Cross organized to help in Biehle and Sedgewickvile.

Two representatives worked out a program to help nearly 100 left homeless in the communities, the Southeast Missourian reported March 25, 1925.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency would not be created for another 54 years, but calls were made for government intervention.

"An application will likely be made to Gov. Sam A. Baker for funds from the state appropriation, now pending in the legislature" for relief work, one story read, because local monies weren't going to be enough.

Locally, $1,400 was raised and used to help tornado victims. That equates to just over $18,600 today.

In Illinois, Gov. Lennington Small ordered immediate construction of Highway 13 north from Murphysboro to St. Louis, the newspaper reported.

Isaac Levy, chairman of the general rehabilitation committee in Murphysboro, had asked Small to order the work completed by state labor so Murphysboro citizens could get employment.

Three thousand men from the area were expected to be employed on the project within a few weeks, beginning to rebuild for their communities and their families.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

http://www.semissourian.com/story/2176506.html

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Turkey: Migrant boat disaster in the Aegean Sea kills six, 2 missing

A small boat carrying illegal Syrian and Iraqi immigrants sank off the Aegean coast of Turkey early on Tuesday. Six aboard were killed while two others are missing in the latest tragedy that befell migrants hoping to cross into Europe via Turkey A small boat carrying 16 illegal Syrian and Iraqi immigrants from Bodrum, a popular vacation resort in southwestern Turkey, to Greece's Kos Island in the Aegean Sea, sank off the Turkish coast around midnight on Tuesday. The bodies of six migrants were recovered from the sea while eight others were rescued by the Coast Guard. Search and rescue crews continue to scour the area for two unaccounted migrants.

The incident was discovered when a Syrian man was found half-conscious off the coast by a Coast Guard patrol. The man told authorities they were sailing to Kos, some 5 miles from Bodrum when their boat started taking in water and sank. He said 15 others were aboard, including Iraqi citizens. Coast Guard boats and helicopters combed the area and rescued seven others who were found alive, while six bodies were found floating near the site where the boat sank.

As search and rescue efforts were underway, the Coast Guard stumbled across another group of immigrants boarding a 7 meter-long rubber boat near the area. Immigrants are suspected of sailing together with those aboard the sunken boat. Forty-six immigrants crammed on the boat were rescued minutes before their dinghy started taking on water and was taken to shore.

The Aegean Sea is a hotbed for illegal immigration, according to figures indicating more than 12,000 immigrants were caught by the Coast Guard last year. Undocumented immigrants from Middle Eastern and Asian countries increasingly head to Europe from Turkey via the Aegean Sea despite the ever-present risk of death in overcrowded dinghies.

In the first three months of 2015, teams rescued 1,497 migrants and captured six smugglers in about 60 incidents in operations in the Aegean Sea.

The Coast Guard captured 12,872 illegal immigrants in 2014 in 524 cases as they were trying to cross into Greece via the country's islands located near Turkish territories by boarding small boats. An average number of 35 people were captured daily while the Coast Guard managed to apprehend only 74 smugglers. Immigrants pay large sums to smugglers who often abandon them halfway through the trip to escape capture.

The number of illegal immigrants captured in 2013 by the Coast Guard was 8,047, with 6,937 of them captured in the Aegean Sea. Figures rose considerably in three years, from 2,531 in 2012.

Syrians who were displaced by four years of civil war in their country make up the majority of captured migrants. Although Turkey offers a safe haven for some 1.8 million Syrian nationals, many look to travel to Europe in pursuit of better employment. Immigrants from Myanmar and Afghanistan are also among the immigrants captured most often in the Aegean Sea during their journey of hope.

Almost all trips end up with the sinking of the boats carrying immigrants, as most travel in small rubber boats that are not built for long-distance travel. The boats are generally boarded by about two dozen people despite their capacity being far below that. According to 2014 figures by the Coast Guard, the bodies of 154 people were found in 842 operations against illegal immigrants throughout 2014, but this figure might be higher since most migrants enter Turkey illegally from the country's southern and eastern borders before reaching its western shores.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2015/03/17/turkey-migrant-boat-disaster-in-the-aegean-sea-kills-six

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Indonesia ends search for AirAsia Flight #8501 crash victims; 56 people still missing

The search for remaining bodies from a plane crash in the Java Sea ends on Tuesday night, the head of Indonesia's rescue agency has confirmed.

The ships involved in the search will then be pulled out on Wednesday, Bambang Soelistyo told the BBC.

AirAsia lost contact with flight QZ 8501 on 28 December as it was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board.

The search effort has recovered 106 bodies, with 56 unaccounted for.

The families of those missing are disappointed but understand that the search cannot go on indefinitely, reports the BBC's Alice Budisatrijo in Jakarta.

Frangky Chandra, the older brother of Gani Chandra, an Indonesian man who was on board the plane, and whose body has not been found, said it was difficult for his family to move on.

"We will never stop waiting," Mr Chandra told the BBC.

He said "the most important thing" was that DV1, the official search team, has said it will help with the identification process if any more bodies are found.

Tony Fernandes, the CEO of AirAsia, told reporters last week that he was satisfied with the search operation

"We have been successful... To get more than 50% is considered a huge success," he said.

But he added that the search could not "go on indefinitely".

The fuselage of the crashed plane was located in the Java Sea in mid January and the final part of it that was recoverable was removed at the end of February. Divers established that those elements of fuselage that had to be left in the sea did not contain any bodies.

The bodies that were recovered were mostly found in and around the wreckage, with a few discovered some 1,000km away, off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Three were found as recently as 14 March.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-31925944

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Migrant boat capsizes near Bodrum, 5 drown, 3 missing

A boat crammed with migrants capsized on Monday in the Aegean sea off the coast of bodrum in Turkey, leaving five people dead and three missing, according to news agencies.

According to the private Doğan news agency, the boat, which had Syrian refugees among its occupants, had been trying to enter Greece illegally when it overturned early Tuesday off the coast of the Greek island of Kos near the Turkish coast. The five dead were all Syrian men, Doğan said.

Coast guard vessels, fishing boats and search and rescue helicopters combed the area for survivors or bodies. So far, eight migrants, including one woman, out of 16 Syrians on the boat have been rescued by the coast guard teams dispatched to the area. The Syrians who were saved were hospitalized and were suffering from hypothermia.

The boat reportedly capsized around 2:00 a.m. when it started to take on water due to windy weather conditions. Fatal accidents are frequent in the area as migrants risk the dangerous sea crossing from Turkey to Greece.

Tuesday 17 March 2015

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3169324430853717798#editor/src=dashboard

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Bodies identified in Argentine chopper crash

Forensic experts have identified the bodies of the 10 victims killed when two helicopters filming a French reality show collided in Argentina, including three of France's top sports stars.

'The bodies of the eight French nationals and two Argentine pilots have been identified,' the Argentine judge leading the investigation, Daniel Herrera, said Monday.

The helicopters were filming an episode of Dropped, a reality show in which sports stars were taken blindfolded into inhospitable environments, when they collided in mid-air in a mountainous region of northwest Argentina.

The accident killed Olympic champion swimmer Camille Muffat, renowned yachtswoman Florence Arthaud and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine, as well as five French television crew members and two Argentine pilots.

It took French and Argentine forensic experts a week to identify the bodies, which were badly burned in the crash.

Herrera said they had relied on dental and medical records and X-rays.

'The bodies are still at the morgue (in the city of La Rioja). I will sign the authorisation for them to be taken to Buenos Aires,' he said.

Tuesday 17 March 2015

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/sthamerica/2015/03/17/bodies-identified-in-argentine-chopper-crash.html

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Myanmar ferry accident death toll climbs to 59

The death toll in a weekend ferry accident off Myanmar's northwestern coast has increased to 59 as more bodies were recovered, state-run media reported Tuesday.

The Myanma Ahlin newspaper said that rescuers pulled 23 more bodies out from inside the ship in about 30 meters (90 feet) of water, but that the number of survivors increased to 169 from 167.

The crowded government-run double-decker ferry was carrying more than 225 passengers when it left the coastal town of Kyaukphyu. The ferry had travelled about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north near Myebon in Rakhine state Friday night when it hit rough seas and capsized after taking on water.

Boat accidents due to overcrowding and bad weather are common in Myanmar's river deltas and coastal regions. People rely on boat transport because of the lower cost and the inaccessibility of many areas by road.

Tuesday 17 March 2015

http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-ferry-accident-death-toll-climbs-59-032848877.html

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AirAsia Flight 8501: More Bodies Recovered From Crash Site

The search for AirAsia Flight 8501, which crashed in the Java Sea on Dec. 28, will end in the next “four or five” days, Tony Fernandez, the airline’s CEO, told BBC on Monday. The news comes the same day authorities revealed that more bodies of the crash victims were recovered from the sea.

Fernandes reportedly said that the search for those on board the Airbus A320-200 could not go on indefinitely and that authorities are in constant communication with the next of kin. Last week, Fernandes said that the Malaysian low-cost airline would give "one last shot" at recovering the missing bodies.

Suryadi B. Supriyadi, director of Indonesia's search and rescue agency, said Monday that three bodies were found about nearly 130 feet from where the main fragment of the plane’s fuselage was retrieved, Sputnik News reported, citing local news website Detik.com.

So far, over 100 bodies of the 162 people on board the flight have been recovered, while the plane’s debris and flight data recorders have also been retrieved from the bottom of the Java Sea, where it went down in stormy weather. Flight 8501 was on its way to Singapore from Surabaya, Indonesia. The body of the plane’s pilot, Captain Iriyanto, is yet to be found.

Investigators are reportedly analyzing flight data recorders to determine the cause of the crash.

In January, Indonesia's transport minister said, citing radar data, that the plane made an abnormally steep climb before stalling and crashing into the Java Sea.

Tuesday 17 March 2015

http://www.ibtimes.com/airasia-flight-8501-search-end-next-few-days-more-bodies-recovered-crash-site-1849148

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18 dead in Julma bus accident

Eighteen people have been killed and fourteen injured in a bus accident at Raralihi, Jumla. The passenger bus carrying 29 people was en route to Kalikot when it overturned at Raralihi, and plunged 200 meters down the road into Tila River at 8.30AM Monday morning.

According to Police Inspector Indra Bahadur Saud, 13 people were killed on the spot while five others died during treatment. Three of the critically injured have been taken to Kohalpur Hospital in Banke for treatment while remaining passengers are being treated at Karnali Academy of Health Sciences. Only one passenger was unhurt in the accident.

Police have identified all eighteen deceased including bus driver Sagar Buda and conductor Harka Buda.

Police suspect the bus may have overturned due to slippery road but the full detail of the accident is yet to come out. Passengers say that the bus was over speeding and lost control at a turning.

Road accidents are common in the highways of Nepal. Most of these accidents are blamed on reckless driving, overcrowding, poorly maintained roads and the terrain of the country.

Tuesday 17 March 2015

http://www.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2015/03/16/17-dead-in-bus-mishap/

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10 killed in bus accident in Chhattisgarh

At least 10 persons died, including three women and a six-year-old girl, in a road accident on Monday morning when a passenger bus crashed into railing of a small over bridge near Korba. The passengers fell into a canal from the broken windscreen, about 30 feet down in water, resulting in their death.

More than 30 persons were said to be injured in the accident. The incident took place at village Madanpur on Badni nullah, main road, inspector in charge KS Tiwari told.br>
According to eyewitnesses, the accident took place at 9.30am about 100km from Vishrampur and a team of police reached the spot for rescue operations two hours after the incident.

The bus, belonging to Hindustan bus service, was headed to Korba from Surajpur district, carrying passengers of Korba, Vishrampur, Katghora, Ambikapur and few from Palamu district of Jharkhand.

Prima facie evidence indicates that there were more women and children travelling in the bus. While nine died on spot, one woman died in hospital during treatment. The bus driver, who was said to be in inebriated, fled after the accident.

Eye witnesses said that the bus was running on a very high speed and made a huge noise when it crashed. While the left side of bus remained hanging in air, passengers sitting in the front cabin fell from bus' broken windscreen.

Police said that the bodies were sent for autopsy. A woman and her two daughters were identified among the deceased while two persons of same family were also reported dead.

Chief minister Raman Singh expressed condolence to the bereaved families and ordered Korba district administration to assist those injured.

Tuesday 17 March 2015

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/raipur/10-die-in-bus-accident-near-Korba/articleshow/46591284.cms

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Cyclone Pam: Vanuatu rescue effort as bodies collected after monster storm

A corpse in the main street, another floating in the harbour, reports of dozens dead elsewhere, and buildings and whole villages blasted into pieces.

These were some of the scenes that greeted dazed Vanuatu residents and tourists on Sunday as the rescue effort and clean-up started in the tiny Pacific island nation which was devastated by Cyclone Pam. The monster category-5 storm, which brought wind gusts of 300km/h, has weakened to a category-3 cyclone as it heads towards New Zealand's North Island

On Sunday, the country's National Disaster Management Office reported at least eight people were confirmed dead and 20 had suffered serious injuries.

Advertisement But the death and injury toll was expected to rise as search and rescue efforts ramp up. The first flights bringing outside aid landed at the newly cleared airport near the capital Port Vila about midday on Sunday.

Unconfirmed reports were circulating of more than 40 people killed in northern Penama province, according to the United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for the Pacific. The province is about 120 kilometres from Port Vila.

Two foreign nationals were thought to have drowned when their sailing boat sank in the rough seas, but their nationalities have not been confirmed.

Australian tourism operators in Port Vila on Sunday confirmed they saw bodies around the capital.

Resort project manager Bernie Millman said he had gone outside on Saturday morning to find a Vanuatu national dead in front of a resort on the main street.

It looked like some local person had been stranded during the night. Perhaps he'd had too much to drink and had been trying to get back to his home and fallen asleep," said Mr Millman.

"And he's been hit by something. They called the ambulance and the police and they came and got the body."

Charter boat operator Australian Peter Phillipps said the body of an unidentified expat had been removed from the harbour in front of his mooring in Port Vila.

He was a fellow who had been living on a yacht and got into strife. He got into the tender and was drowned. They found his body in the tender [on Saturday].

"I couldn't tell you where he was from. We used to see him standing on his yacht waving to people."

Tom Skirrow, country director for Save the Children, said the Vanuatu Government's National Disaster Management Office co-ordinating the emergency response has confirmed the eight deaths.

The victims had been recovered from Port Vila, and its surrounding areas.

"It's without doubt a small number now and it will increase significantly as we start looking around. The problem at the moment is that no one can phone, no one has any communication or any power, so it's very difficult to get accurate numbers," Mr Skirrow said in a phone interview from Port Vila on Sunday.

Thousands more are believed to be homeless across some of the country's 83 islands after the cyclone's 300km/h gusts were reported to have leveled entire villages.

Monday 16 March 2015

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/cyclone-pam-vanuatu-rescue-effort-as-bodies-picked-up-after-monster-storm-20150316-144nlp.html

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Rescuers retrieve bodies after Brazilian tour bus crash kills 54

The death toll from a tour bus's horrific plunge into a densely wooded ravine in southern Brazil has risen to 54, as President Dilma Rousseff expressed her sadness over the news.

The bus went off a twisting mountain road on Saturday and crashed 400m to the bottom of the ravine, landing on its side.

Fire fighters pulled the victims from the wreckage, despite the difficult terrain and the bodies were taken to a morgue.

The bus, carrying a group of evangelical Christians to a religious event in the neighboring state of Parana, swerved off a curve on Saturday and 400 metres before coming to rest in a wooded area snarled in thick vegetation.

Rescue crews were still trying to recover the bodies of victims on Sunday. At least six survivors, including two children, were being treated for injuries.

Nearly 100 rescue workers descended on the crash site, but the difficult terrain and night fall complicated the work.

Among the dead were at least eight children and 24 women, regional government spokeswoman Ana Paula Keller said.

Advertisement The toll had initially been put at about 30 but the number rose throughout the night as rescuers continued to find bodies at the difficult-to-access crash site and other victims succumbed to their injuries at a nearby hospital.

A government official in Santa Catarina said the vehicle was likely carrying 59 people. The bus was supposed to be carrying 50 people, authorities said.

Several ambulances and a helicopter were dispatched to the area and recovery efforts resumed this afternoon.

The crash site was near a lookout point in the Dona Francisca mountains, a popular stop for tourists. The bus was operated by a tour firm and was travelling a route of about 300 kilometres between Uniao da Vitoria and Guaratuba, on the Santa Catarina coast.

Witnesses told local press that the driver lost control on the curvy stretch of highway, but the cause was still under investigation. Police said it appeared the brakes on the bus had failed.

Several drivers stopped on the roadside to try to help victims as they waited for emergency services to arrive.

Accidents on this winding road are common. The O Estado newspaper said 66 people had been killed on the highway in the last five years.

In 2007, 27 people were killed in a single accident and another crash in 1999 left 35 dead.

Monday 16 March 2015

http://www.smh.com.au/world/rescuers-retrieve-bodies-after-brazilian-tour-bus-crash-kills-54-20150315-144sq5.html

http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0315/687193-brazil/

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Victims of Kazan fire identified

Relatives have identified 16 of the 17 bodies retrieved after last week's fire at the Admiral shopping center in the city of Kazan, 600 miles east of Moscow. Seven of the victims were foreigners, the Tatarstan department of the Emergency Situations Ministry said on Sunday.

"Sixteen bodies have been n identified at the republic forensic medicine center, including the bodies of seven foreign citizens - two from Tajikistan, one from Kyrgyzstan, one from Azerbaijan, three from Uzbekistan and one from Turkey. Also, a fragment of a male body has been identified," a ministry statement said.

Thirteen bodies have been handed over to relatives to be buried.

The fire broke out at the Admiral shopping center on March 11 at 9:30 p.m.

Monday 16 March 2015

http://rbth.co.uk/news/2015/03/15/victims_of_kazan_fire_identified_44516.html

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Strong currents hamper search for Myanmar ferry victims

Strong currents on Sunday hampered efforts to retrieve the bodies of victims of a ferry accident which killed at least 34 people off western Myanmar, as hopes dimmed for the missing.

The "Aung Takon 3" sank late Friday after leaving the town of Kyaukphyu on its way to Sittwe in western Rakhine state.

Updating the toll, police said 34 people died in the sinking with a dozen more listed as missing.

The ship was officially carrying 214 passengers and crew.

But locals have said they fear many more unregistered ticket holders may have been on board, a common practice on the impoverished nation’s often overcrowded ferry network.

"We have hundreds of people helping with the rescue, but there’s a strong current, it’s hard to carry out rescue work," Thein Naing, a senior police official in Kyaukphyu, told AFP.

"We have 34 dead people so far... we will continue the search until we have found everyone."

But expectations of finding survivors have diminished nearly two days after the boat went down.

Many Myanmar citizens living along the nation’s lengthy coastline and flood-prone river systems rely on poorly-maintained ferries for transportation.

The area where the "Aung Takon 3" capsized is notorious for its treacherous waters.

In recent years Rakhine state has also been the departure point for thousands of desperate Muslim Rohingya who crowd onto small and dangerously overcrowded boats to escape persecution, often aiming for Thailand and Malaysia.

But many of the barely seaworthy boats never reach their destinations.

Sunday 15 March 2015

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/Strong-currents-hamper-search-for-Myanmar-ferry-vi-30256056.html

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Uganda: Govt praised for quick fire victims' DNA results

Government has been praised for expeditiously releasing the DNA results for the six bodies of the workers that perished in the fire that gutted Crest Foam mattress factory on Monday morning.

The results were released on Saturday at the Government Analytical Laboratory(GAL) in the city suburb of Wandegeya. Property worth sh6b is believed to have been destroyed.

The director of GAL Kefa Kuchana Kateu, handed over the Certificate of Analysis containing the results.

They were received by the officer in charge of Kira Road Police ASP George William Kanzira.

A relative of one of the victims praised government, saying they feared it would be a two-week long wait.

"Government has done something that is very good. We initially thought we were going to wait for two weeks but even in our moment of grief, we are overjoyed that we shall be able to put the deceased to rest sooner rather than later,"Nyawora said.

Kateu said the DNA analysis from the bodies marked one to six, were profiled from 10 relatives of the deceased. He said there was no mismatch.

"These victims were numbered from the scene. All the results matched. We profiled mothers and fathers, then brothers and children," Kateu said.

The certificate of analysis does not indicate the names of the deceased. It only indicates the identification number from the scene, matched with the names of the relative profiled for DNA.

Kateu explained the expeditious conclusion of the analysis, saying government has a framework contract with suppliers of the reagents used for DNA. The relatives are Jennifer Atieno, Manziliana Alweny, Christine Achieng, Ruth Nali,Joshua Onyango, and Jennifer Nantumbwe.

Preliminary investigations indicate the fire started from welding works at the factory. On Saturday, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango, said investigations were ongoing.

Kanzira said a copy of the results would be given to management at the city mortuary, Mulago Hospital, to enable the relatives identify and take the deceased for burial.

Sunday 15 March 2015

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/665877-govt-praised-for-quick-fire-victims-dna-results.html

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Brazil bus crash: at least 40 dead after plunge off cliff

At least 49 people were killed Saturday, March 14, when a tour bus plunged hundreds of meters into a densely wooded ravine in southern Brazil, authorities said.

Among the dead were 8 children and 24 women, regional government spokeswoman Ana Paula Keller told Agence France-Presse.

The toll had initially been put at about 30 but the number rose throughout the night as rescuers continued to find bodies at the difficult-to-access crash site in Santa Catarina state, and other victims succumbed to their injuries at a nearby hospital.

The bus plunged 400 meters (1,300 feet) into a ravine and ended up on its side, snarled in thick vegetation. Rescuers struggled to account for everyone in the failing light and difficult terrain.

Fifty people were supposed to be on the bus, but authorities believed the number of passengers was higher than that.

Ten people were in the hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known.

The crash site was near a lookout point in the Dona Francisca mountains, a popular stop for tourists. The bus was operated by a tour firm and was traveling a route of about 300 kilometers (185 miles) between Uniao da Vitoria and Guaratuba, on the Santa Catarina coast.

Witnesses told local press that the driver lost control on the curvy stretch of highway, but the cause was still under investigation.

"There are people out there, on the hill, in the bus, trapped in the wreckage. But the chances of finding someone alive are pretty slim," state police Colonel Nelson Coelho said in a statement.

Several drivers stopped on the roadside to try to help victims as they waited for emergency services to arrive.

Accidents on this winding road are common. The O Estado newspaper said 66 people had been killed on the highway in the last five years.

In 2007, 27 people were killed in a single accident and another crash in 1999 left 35 dead.

Some 43,000 Brazilians are killed in road accidents annually.

And from 2002-2012, the traffic accident rate surged by over 24 percent.

With the economy growing and the population topping 200 million, an estimated 10,000 new cars are added to the roads every day.

One of the country's last major accidents was in October 2014, when a truck collided with a bus carrying high school students in Sao Paulo, killing 10 and injuring dozens more.

Despite nearly a decade of sustained economic growth that only slowed in recent years, the country has done little to improve or expand its creaky infrastructure.

The country averages more than 18 highway deaths per 100,000 people per year, compared with only about 10 in high-income countries, according to a report by the Inter-American Development Bank.

The tolls in nearby Argentina, Colombia and Chile average about 13.

Sunday 15 March 2015

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/latin-america/86919-brazil-tour-bus-crash

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/15/brazil-bus-crash-51-feared-dead

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13 killed, 25 injured in Nagaland bus accident

In a tragic road accident, 13 persons died while many were injured when a bus carrying more than 25 passengers fell into a narrow steep gorge at Phek town, Nagaland.

The incident occurred today at around 1.30 pm in between New and Old Phek, Nagaland.

The bus which was returning after the wedding ceremony of a Jessami village girl at Phek fell into a narrow steep gorge killing 13 persons including six women and seven men on the spot while more than four persons were in critical conditions.

The accident victims were rushed to Phek hospital for immediate treatment.

The passengers were travelling in a NST Mini bus from Phek.

Jessami CYS Chairman Khwezobe, Church chowkidar W Ayewebso, two spinsters and two bachelors have been identified from among the 13 victims.

The bodies would be brought back to Jessami village early tomorrow morning where a mass funeral would be organised at Jessami public ground.

Deputy Speaker and MLA from Chingai Assembly Constituency Preshow Shimray has deeply condoled the demise of 13 persons in the road accident.

Conveying his condolence to the breaved family members, the Deputy Speaker in a statement issued to the press late in the evening today prayed for the eternal rest of the departed souls.

Shimray also prayed for the injured persons and hoped for their fast recovery.

The Government and the district administration too have been apprised of the matter and urged to act fast so the bodies may be brought to Jessami village in good time.

Likewise the injured persons too may be taken to Imphal for medical treatment.

The Deputy Speaker also appealed to the Government to extend all possible assistance to the bereaved family members as well as to the injured persons.

Sunday 15 March 2015

http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=9..140315.mar15

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Huge Pacific cyclone devastates Vanuatu, at least eight dead

One of the Pacific Ocean's most powerful ever storms devastated the island nation of Vanuatu on Saturday, tearing off roofs, uprooting trees and killing at least eight people with the toll set to rise, aid officials said.

The United Nations was preparing a major relief operation and Australia said it was ready to offer its neighbor whatever help it could.

With winds up to 340 kph (210 mph), Cyclone Pam left Vanuatu cut off, with little power, poor communications and a looming threat of hunger and thirst.

Unconfirmed reports said the number of dead could run into dozens but aid workers said it would be days or weeks before the full impact was known.

"It felt like the world was going to end," Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), said from Vanuatu.

"It's like a bomb has gone off in the center of the town. There is no power. There is no water."

Tom Skirrow, country director for the Save the Children aid group, told Reuters that Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office had confirmed eight dead and 20 injured. He said he expected those figures to rise substantially.

Aid workers in Papua New Guinea said at least one person had been killed by the storm there.

Satellite photographs showed the storm covering virtually all of Vanuatu, a sprawling country of 83 islands and 260,000 people 2,000 km (1,250 miles) northeast of the Australian city of Brisbane.

The president of Vanuatu, Baldwin Lonsdale, told a disaster risk conference in Japan he had no confirmed report of the impact of the storm but he appealed to the world to "give a lending hand".

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Canberra would be willing to offer Vanuatu whatever help it could.

Formerly known as the New Hebrides, Vanuatu was jointly ruled by France and Britain until independence in 1980. It is among the world's poorest countries and highly prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis and storms.

Witnesses described sea surges of up to eight meters (26 feet) and flooding throughout the capital, Port Vila, after the category 5 cyclone hit late on Friday.

Aid officials said the storm could be unprecedented in the island's history and one of the worst natural disasters the Pacific region has ever experienced.

They said the storm was comparable in strength to Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013 and killed more than 6,000 people.

FEARING THE WORST

Chloe Morrison a spokeswoman for the World Vision aid group said the storm had been terrifying.

"Trees are across the roads. Some of them are piled up so you can barely see over them,” she said. “There are reports that there have been casualties across all of the islands.

"This is going to need a long and sustained response. People in Vanuatu are subsistence farmers. They grow food for their own consumption. Crops will be absolutely wiped out from this.”

Outlying islands may take weeks to reach, aid officials said, while a lack of clean water and widespread damage to crops meant the situation could deteriorate sharply in coming days.

There were no reports of looting but Skirrow described men whose homes had been destroyed walking the streets of Port Vila with machetes and families huddling without shelter after their flimsy homes of thatch were torn away by the wind and rain.

Many residents were in evacuation centers, he said, but the authorities were ill prepared.

"These people are homeless now. These people are going to be there for probably six weeks," Skirrow said.

As darkness fell on Saturday, the storm was moving off to the south but the wind was still strong.

U.N. relief workers were gearing up for a rapid response on Sunday, with members drawn from as far away as Europe.

However, with the airport closed and high wind still blowing it was not clear how they could reach Vanuatu.

Sune Gudnitz, regional head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said sending in military aircraft was an option, possibly from Australia.

Sunday 15 March 2015

http://news.yahoo.com/cyclone-batters-pacific-island-nation-vanuatu-u-n-024357605.html

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